United had
Ian Harte back at left-back after a knee injury and
Gary Kelly took over from Danny Mills at right back, as they took on the
second-rated Russian side Locomotiv Moscow, who had
reached the semi-finals of the European-Cup-Winners Cup for the last two
seasons. On a rainy night in Leeds, United just blew the Muscovites away with a
display of power football that made them wish they had never left Russia to
play their first ever game on British soil as a break from their ice and snow.

The teeming
rain was always going to make conditions difficult, but the Russians must have
thought they were in the tropics having left behind the freezing temperatures
and a foot of snow in Moscow. United had met European opposition
from twenty different countries before that night but a Russian team had never
previously encountered and it was a new experience for the EPL table-toppers.
United seemed relaxed and the Russians nervous as they came onto the pitch but
Michael Bridges was way out of touch with his first effort as he shot horribly
wide after being put through by Harry Kewell. Then
Jonathan Woodgate was only just denied by a fine save
from RuslanNigmatoulline
after Alan Smith had nodded down cleverly. At the other end DmitriLoskov fired weakly wide, and then Michael Bridges
was again wasteful as he shot over after he was given a fine chance by Harry Kewell.

Lucas Radebe was strong in defence as
he prevented ZasaDzanashia
from getting in a shot and then United had a let off when Alexei Smertin was too greedy in possession and did not pass to
two team-mates who were better placed. Locomotive were swift on the break and Maradonna look-alike ZazaDzanashia had Nigel Martyn
scurrying across his goal to push the ball round the post. Harry Kewell rode two tackles but put his shot over while Michael
Bridges put a shot across the face of the goal. United took the lead after
twenty-seven minutes with a fine set piece from Stephen McPhail
who found the head of Michael Bridges on the left, and Jonathan Woodgate helped it on to Lee Bowyer who crashed the ball
home. It was Bowyer’s sixth goal of the season and his third in the UEFA Cup.

United were
given a shock in the thirty-sixth minute when Alexei Arifoulline
thundered in a shot from thirty-five yards which rattled the Leeds bar with
Nigel Martyn beaten. DmitriBoulykine, who had replaced ZazaDzanashia, threatened but Jonathan Woodgate stopped him with a fine tackle. Just on half time
United doubled their lead as Michael Bridges sent in a magnificent cross in
from the left and there was Lee Bowyer to rise and gleefully head the ball into
the net for his and Leeds’
second goal. United were good value for their 2-0 lead and it looked as though
there might be more in the offing, but Locomotiv proved
they could still be a danger as Nigel Martyn was
twice tested in the early minutes of the second half as DmitriLuskov sent in a thirty-five yard free-kick which had
him stretching to push onto the bar and then the same player forced him to
acrobatically tip the ball round the post for a corner.

The Leeds reply to the early second half
attacks from Locomotiv was devastating. In the
fifty-sixth minute Gary Kelly delivered a wicked cross from the right and
Michael Bridges was held as he went for the ball but it bounced kindly for Alan
Smith to produce an overhead kick to send the ball into the bottom corner of
the net and United were starting to move out of sight of the Muscovites. Locomotiv had threatened with long ranged shots all night
and so it came as no surprise when they finally got on the score-sheet in the
eightieth minute when DmitriLoskov
finally beat Nigel Martyn with a free-kick from
thirty-five yards. It did not take Leeds long to restore their three goal lead
as Darren Huckerby, who had replaced Michael Bridges,
sent a neat cross in from the right and Harry Kewell
took it in his stride and fired a low shot into the corner of the net just
three minutes later. The three goal lead ensured that United could take
advantage of being tourists in Moscow rather than be under pressure as
their work seemed complete.